1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for transmitting/receiving messages in a broadcasting system. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for transmitting/receiving a notification message in a broadcasting system, and a system thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, broadcast services are aimed to be provided to all users having terminals. Broadcast services are classified into an audio broadcast service like radio broadcasting that provides an audio only service, a video-oriented broadcast service like television (TV) providing audio and video services, and a multimedia broadcast service including audio, video and/or data services. These broadcast services have been primarily based on analog technologies, but are now evolving into digital broadcast services as a result of the rapid progress of the communication technologies. In addition, broadcast services are transitioning from the existing telecommunication tower-based broadcast service into a wire network-based multimedia broadcast service providing high-definition, high-rate data by wire, satellite-based multimedia broadcast service, and a multimedia broadcast service based on both wire networks and the satellites.
The development of mobile communication technologies and broadcast services contributes to providing portable broadcasting to users.
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a general system for providing a portable broadcast service.
A mobile terminal 104 can receive multimedia content provided by a content provider or service provider 105 and a service guide 101 for a provided service through a broadcast channel 102 or an interaction channel 103. The broadcast channel 102 includes Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB), 3rd Generation Partnership Projects Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (3GPP MBMS), and 3rd Generation Partnership Projects 2 Broadcast/Multicast Service (3GPP2 BCMCS), and can also include other broadcasting technologies such as Digital Multimedia Broadcast (DMB), Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB), etc. The interaction channel 103 can include networks capable of providing interactive services, including various mobile communication networks, such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and 3rd Generation (3G) networks, and Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). The content provider or service provider 105 can unidirectionally broadcast or multicast a service guide, high-capacity multimedia content, and a notification service to a plurality of terminals through the broadcast channel 102, and can provide the services through the interaction channel 103 when interaction service is needed.
In the portable broadcast service system (hereafter referred to as a “portable broadcast system”), networks of the content provider or service provider 105 have a need to transmit a notification for transmission or modification of the service guide and multimedia content, to a user of the mobile terminal 104. In addition, network providers of the portable broadcast system also need to have a notification function of providing messages notifying public notices, emergency disasters, emergency situations, etc. to the user of the mobile terminal.
Accordingly, there is a need for a clear definition of message formats used for the notifications and an operation method based on the message formats. Also there is a need for allowing the mobile terminal to efficiently handle the notification messages and provide the messages to the user.